1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to system and method for distributing document files in which the right to access the files is managed by a document management system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A document management system is a computer system in which the right to manipulate (right to access) electronic documents (document files) is managed on a per-user basis. For example, by storing a desired document file in a folder to which the access right has been restricted, a user to which access to the document file is not intended is prevented from accessing the document file.
When a document file is transmitted to multiple mail addresses, multiple copies of the document file are made and these are transmitted. It has been pointed out this imposes a heavy load upon the network. In accordance with the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-342249, a file sharing apparatus receives E-mail having an attached file and separates the attached file and E-mail from each other. The file sharing apparatus stores the attached file in a file server. The file sharing apparatus further makes an entry of link information, which is a link to the attached file, in the E-mail and transmits the E-mail. In addition, the file sharing apparatus allows access to the file only to users who correspond to the destination addresses of the E-mail. As a result, an attached file is shared with multiple users without copying it multiple times. This lightens the load upon the network.
Meanwhile, document distribution systems that that distribute documents based upon a policy have also been put into practical use. This document distribution system appends a policy, which is the identifier of an access right, and not the actual access right to a document. That is, the actual access right with respect to each policy is defined by a policy server. A user who has received the document is verified by the policy server and can acquire the actual access right that corresponds to the policy appended to the document.
If a document file being managed by a document management system is distributed by E-mail in the manner described above, there is the danger that the right to access the document file will be released to a user to whom such release is not intended.
Accordingly, it would be ideal if the above-described document management system and document distribution system could be operated in combination. However, the state of the art is such that a document management system and document distribution system cannot be simply integrated because they manage access rights using databases that differ from each other.